The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is looking to include input on the updates for the 2019 version of the National Emergency Communications Plan, DHS said in a notice.

The NECP, last published in 2014, serves as a guide for entities seeking to coordinate operations and invest in operable and interoperable communications for emergency response and recovery missions. The plan covers traditional emergency response groups and other relevant entities such as nongovernmental organizations, medical facilities, media and private citizens.

Potential updates to the NECP include the expansion of technologies, personnel and functions to support emergency communications to assist public safety agencies to “address today’s challenges while also planning for future advancements.” In 2018, CISA commenced development and implementation efforts for the first NECP under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Congress directs the agency to facilitate a baseline assessment every five years and periodically revise the guide.

Interested parties may submit feedback on the updated NECP through March 22.

The Trump administration has released the fourth National Action Plan for Open Government outlining the federal government’s objectives to establish “openness” over the next two years. NAP4 is committing to efforts such as ensuring the availability of federal government data, making grant procedures more accountable and providing access to federally funded scientific research.

Other objectives were detailed in the action plan, including the development of a federal data strategy, improving workforce and employment-related information, creating agency-level chief data officers, leveraging open data to streamline healthcare operations and implementing enterprise objectives for Intelligence Community missions.

The strategy also seeks to foster public participation to develop national action plans for the future. According to NAP4, the U.S. government will prioritize the establishment of public and civil organization partnerships to “implement these objectives and deliver meaningful results for the American people.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., sought stakeholder input on potential methods to boost cybersecurity in the health care industry with an emphasis on oversight gaps, cyber threat impacts and efforts to strategically address information security needs. Cyber criminals target the health care industry due to the sensitivity of medical information that contains social security numbers, addresses and health records, Warner’s office said Wednesday.

The 2019 Wash100 award winner addressed stakeholders with a number of questions including those concerning cyber vulnerability detection, real-time system information and recommendations for increased health care cybersecurity.

“I would like to work with you and other industry stakeholders to develop a short and long term strategy for reducing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the health care sector,” Sen. Warner said.

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Visit the Wash100 website, where viewers can submit 10 votes for the executives of consequence they believe will have the most significant impact in 2019.

The U.S. Army held a forum in Troy, Mich., to discuss the service branch’s developments in electric vehicle production efforts, National Defense magazine reported Thursday.

Dean Zeal McGrew, leader of the powertrain electrification team under the Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, said the event detailed TARDEC’s progress in the emerging vehicular platform. McGrew noted that TARDEC plans to use other transaction authority agreements to acquire new technologies such as electric vehicles. He added that the unit will release its development strategy following the series of forums, which intends to foster dialogue with engineers, project managers and representatives form the academe and industry.

According to McGrew, TARDEC has been developing methods to overcome the challenges facing electric and hybrid-electric vehicles for the last 25 years. Military personnel in favor of using electric vehicles have said the new platforms provide lower-cost power, greater performance and other features that improve stealth. The series of forums on electric vehicles will continue through summer 2019.

President Trump signed the National Strategy to Combat Terrorist Travel to address national security threats and utilize new technologies to prevent the entry of terrorists. The White House said on Wednesday that the strategy is intended to help enhance border security, vetting, enforcement of immigration laws and transportation security in the U.S. 

The document calls on federal agencies to plan and improve operations coordination to secure U.S. borders and explore emerging technologies, such as new biometric and data sharing tools. The White House said such technologies should enhance detection and monitoring of traveling terrorists. 

“The key to detecting and interdicting terrorists attempting to travel will be enhancing systems that validate identities and advancing the use of biometric technologies,” Trump said in a statement. 

The strategy also aims to encourage U.S. allies to adopt these same technologies and share data between countries.